If the previous XF was about dramatic insurrection into German territory, the second-generation was a more methodical expansion of its hard-won place in buyers’ minds.
Being instantly recognisable as a Jaguar was rule number one, necessitating that it adhered to the same raked shape that had gone before.
Fitting this familiar profile onto the new platform was the more pressing task, the smaller XE’s size having helped to dictate the dimensions that its modular aluminum-intensive architecture adopted.
The move to a cutting-edge amalgamation of exotic alloys, self-piercing rivets and structural adhesives was the latest model’s defining feature. Its chief benefits – as much as 190kg shed from the kerb weight, a 28% increase in rigidity and 51mm gained in the wheelbase – had a direct impact on the car as a whole.
Aesthetically, though, they were cleverly hidden in the car’s elongated rear deck and dramatically shortened front overhang, resulting in a car that was 7mm shorter than before.
The body delivered near 50/50 weight distribution, with the chassis again based on front double wishbones and Jaguar’s own integral link rear suspension. It also featured new passive dampers, which had an extra valve in the piston that remained open at urban speed, and then closed as the pace increased to make the ride progressively firmer.
Powering the XF was predominantly the work of the 2.0-litre, all-aluminium Ingenium diesel engine, which could be had in 161bhp and 178bhp form.
Jaguar’s go-to gearbox, the eight-speed ZF automatic, remained an option across the board (and standard on the 296bhp diesel and 377bhp petrol V6s), but a six-speed manual – also co-developed with ZF – was the default transmission.
A more streamlined front end, a more aggressive rear diffuser and new headlights were rolled out on the facelifted XF that launched in 2020, with inspiration taken from the updated F-Type. There was an elegance to this car’s design that played into the strengths of Jaguar’s classic ‘fuselage’ styling.